"The Betrothed": A masterpiece of 19th century Italian literature rediscovered

The Dante Alighieri Society of BC and The Dante Alighier Society of Ottawa  invite you to the web talk by Dr. Michael F. Moore

"The Betrothed: A masterpiece of 19th century Italian literature rediscovered”

Friday, 22 September, 12.00 pm-1.00 pm (PDT/Vancouver Time), 3.00 pm-4.00 pm (EDT/Toronto and New York Time), 9.00 pm-10.00 pm (Rome Time)

In English – Online via Zoom

FREE for Students and Members  –  $10 DONATIONS for non-Members*

If you are a member, you will receive the link a day prior to the event!

*Please send your donation via Interac email transfer at info@dantesocietybc.ca

Or Become a Member! The yearly membership costs $40 and offers free access to all our paying events & a 5% discount on all the Italian language courses at our Dante Italian Language School in Vancouver

About the event:

Discover all that is important to know about Alessandro Manzoni’s I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed, Modern Library, 2022). Originally published in 1827, the most famous and widely read historical novel in the Italian language is a work of foundational Italian literature on par with Dante’s Divine Comedy and Boccaccio’s The Decameron.

Your companion on this literary journey will be Dr. Michael F. Moore, the adept translator of The Betrothed into modern American English.

About the book:

The Betrothed (I Promessi Spos) is a cornerstone of Italian culture, language, and literature. Published in its final form in 1842, The Betrothed has inspired generations of Italian readers and writers. Giuseppe Verdi composed his majestic Requiem Mass in honor of Manzoni. Italo Calvino called the novel “a classic that has never ceased shaping reality in Italy” while Umberto Eco praised its author as a “most subtle critic and analyst of languages.” The Betrothed has been celebrated by Primo Levi and Natalia Ginzburg, and is one of Pope Francis’s favorite books. But, until now, it has remained relatively unknown to English readers.  

The plot: In the fall of 1628, two young lovers are forced to flee their village on the shores of Lake Como after a powerful lord prevents their marriage, plunging them into the maelstrom of history. Manzoni draws on actual people and events to create an unforgettable fresco of Italian life and society. In this greatest of historical novels, he takes the reader on a journey through the Spanish occupation of Milan, the ravages of war, class tensions, social injustice, religious faith, and a plague that devastates northern Italy. But within Manzoni’s epic tale, readers will also hear powerful echoes of our own day.  

Dr. Michael F. Moore’s dynamic new translation of The Betrothed brings to life Manzoni’s timeless literary masterpiece.

About the speaker: 

Dr, Michael F. Moore has recently completed a multi-year project of translating the great Italian novel, The Betrothed, by Alessandro Manzoni, into American English (NY: Modern Library, 2022). His published translations range across genres, from modern classics to contemporary fiction and non-fiction, including, most recently: The Drowned and the Saved, by Primo Levi; Agostino, by Alberto Moravia; Quiet Chaos, by Sandro Veronesi; and Live Bait, by Fabio Genovesi. He is currently working on a new translation of Moravia’s short story collection, Rome Tales. 

For many years Michael served as the chair of the PEN Translation Committee and, subsequently, as the Chair of the Advisory Board of the PEN/Heim Translation Grant. He was also the staff interpreter and translator of the Italian Mission to the United Nations.

Recognition of his work includes an NEA Translation Grant, the first translator-in-residence at Princeton University, and a fellowship at the Rockefeller Center in Bellagio, Italy. 

He has conducted literary translation workshops at the Columbia University School of the Arts and at Literature House Ireland, as well as courses in Italian language and literature at Bard College, Hunter College, and New York University.

He received his Ph.D in Italian studies from New York University, with a thesis on Petrarch commentaries in the fifteenth century.

This event is organized with the kind support of the Dante Alighieri Society of Rome.

Help us share this event! Registrations can also be made by sending an email to: info@dantesocietybc.ca